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buglovin Samba Member
Joined: March 03, 2012 Posts: 18 Location: Kingston ON
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Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 7:55 pm Post subject: Door alignment |
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I have a 59 ragtop that I am about to replace the heater channels in. When the doors are closed, the door gaps are perfect all around. When I open the doors, they immediately drop half an inch. When closing the doors, it is the striker that brings them back up to alignment. Is this normal for a beetle? |
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MMW Samba Member
Joined: April 30, 2012 Posts: 846 Location: northern NJ
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Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 4:54 am Post subject: |
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No not normal. It may be as simple as a door alignment or worn hinge but it could be also be a structural rust issue. You need to study it to see where the movement is coming from, in other words what is letting it drop down. Since it is a ragtop & needs heater channels I'm betting it is a rust issue. _________________ Mic
1959 356 coupe
Missing the original engine 72488
Update - third pc. found!
Now just need the case halves.
1965 fenderless beetle |
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panicman Samba Member
Joined: December 18, 2011 Posts: 2290 Location: Canby, OR
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Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 9:07 am Post subject: |
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Ditto the above. The only car I had with doors that flopped like that was rusted at the point where the A pillar meets the heater channel. _________________ Plate of shrimp |
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buglovin Samba Member
Joined: March 03, 2012 Posts: 18 Location: Kingston ON
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Posted: Tue Nov 05, 2013 4:52 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you for the info. I pulled the body and it is now on a dolly. After inspecting the heater channels, the drivers side only needs the bottom plate replaced from the B pillar back. The passenger side channel has rust from the B pillar back and will get a complete replacement. Both A pillars are solid where they meet the channels. Hinges don't move at all where they are screwed into the A pillar. Passenger bottom hinge moves slightly where it is riveted to the door. |
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fabricator john Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2009 Posts: 510 Location: manassas va. now Venice Fl.
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Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2013 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject: nobody ever does this Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post
TO ADJUST THE DOOR DROP>>.take out your door striker (in the jamb) take the pan bolts loose down that side of the car,,,place a jack under the front post (under the pan on a block of wood about where the heater channel bends) and jack the car up till the door shuts nice ( without the striker) look at the bodyline you now want the door about a 1/4" high (according to the bodyline)(to preload) now tighten the pan bolts with the car jacked up in position....let the car down and check your gap.... if satisified ,,,re install the striker and adjust for a perfect "CLICK"..........done it alot its easy ,nobody ever remembers this old trick was taught to me 20yrs ago when i was bangin tin at a big vw shop.....fabricator john |
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pig-pen Samba Member
Joined: December 04, 2012 Posts: 570 Location: United Kingdom
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Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 11:02 am Post subject: |
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fabricator john wrote: |
PostPosted: Wed Feb 23, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject: nobody ever does this Reply with quote Edit/Delete this post
TO ADJUST THE DOOR DROP>>.take out your door striker (in the jamb) take the pan bolts loose down that side of the car,,,place a jack under the front post (under the pan on a block of wood about where the heater channel bends) and jack the car up till the door shuts nice ( without the striker) look at the bodyline you now want the door about a 1/4" high (according to the bodyline)(to preload) now tighten the pan bolts with the car jacked up in position....let the car down and check your gap.... if satisified ,,,re install the striker and adjust for a perfect "CLICK"..........done it alot its easy ,nobody ever remembers this old trick was taught to me 20yrs ago when i was bangin tin at a big vw shop.....fabricator john |
I just did this today. Loosened off the bolts down one side, and just for fun loosened the two front bolts... then jacked up under the door post.
I couldn't get the body line to go higher to preload, but did get the door and the body to line up. Tightened up everything and let the car down.
Door has moved up about a quarter inch and shuts great, well... as good as the other side which I thought was fine. A marked improvement. _________________ 1954 L227 Type 113
1964 L31 Type 265 |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3624 Location: CT
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Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2016 7:02 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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I'm going to bring back this thread for a question about using the jack. When I do this, do I put the Jack with the block of wood under the heater channel, or do I open the door and put it at the front of the door. I'm having the same problem as the OP. I open it and it just drops, but closed the doors look good. _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3624 Location: CT
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 8:39 am Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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Anyone? _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3624 Location: CT
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 2:33 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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Somebody? _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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wcfvw69 Samba Purist
Joined: June 10, 2004 Posts: 13389 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 3:16 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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You need to do some investigating. Where is the slob coming from? Worn door hinge pins? Cracked A piller where the door bolts up? Is the hinge loose where it's riveted to the door?
You need to inspect everything fully and the problem should present itself. _________________ Contact me at [email protected]
Follow me on instagram @sparxwerksllc
Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.
**Now rebuilding throttle bodies for VW's and Porsche's**
**Restored German Bosch distributors for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored German Pierburg fuel pumps for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche fuel pumps or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche distributors or I can restore yours** |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3624 Location: CT
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Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 4:20 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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I've done a little investigating. Currently there is no heater channel, but when it was there, it still did this. I don't remember if the hinge is loose, but the a pillar isn't cracked where it mets the channel. I'll look more tomorrow. _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3624 Location: CT
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:56 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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Just went out and checked. Hinges definitely don't feel loose. Just trying to move the door up and down a little shakes the whole body. Here's a picture of the gap if it helps.
_________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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Mike Fisher Samba Member
Joined: January 30, 2006 Posts: 17970 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 2:49 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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Lift on that low end of the door w/floor jack and 2X4 & see how much you can close up the gap. _________________ https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3624 Location: CT
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 2:54 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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Alright thanks for telling me where to put the jack! I'll do that when it's back on the pan. Currently the body is resting on some 2x8s and logs. _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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wcfvw69 Samba Purist
Joined: June 10, 2004 Posts: 13389 Location: Arizona
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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You need to cut and fit your replacement heater channel and put it in place BEFORE you start setting the gaps and welding on it. It would of been idea to weld in some braces prior to removing the original heater channel.
Once you fit the heater channel and have it in place, you need to tack weld in place in a few spots and then use jacks and come alongs to set all the gaps. _________________ Contact me at [email protected]
Follow me on instagram @sparxwerksllc
Decades of VW and VW parts restoration experience.
The Samba member since 2004.
**Now rebuilding throttle bodies for VW's and Porsche's**
**Restored German Bosch distributors for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored German Pierburg fuel pumps for sale or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche fuel pumps or I can restore yours**
**Restored Porsche distributors or I can restore yours** |
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67ctbug Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2016 Posts: 3624 Location: CT
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Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2016 3:28 pm Post subject: Re: Door alignment |
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I did weld in braces before I removed the channel. I'm going to put in the floors, then the channels, then I will set the door gaps. _________________ '67 Beetle L41
'74 Westfalia
'69 Plymouth "Adam-12"
'63 Ragtop
'73 914
'72 Dodge Wrecker
Go Cubs!
World Series Champions 2016
KentPS wrote: |
...or the PO envied the terrorists' bus in "Back to the Future". |
mukluk wrote: |
He's fine, just waiting for the dragon in winklepickers to move out of his lane. |
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